March 2, 2007

Poor Annie Grossman, a young aguna, sits in her tiny room on Rivington Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, wondering what she’s going to do. One of the many bandits and charlatans that roam the Jewish quarter, preying on lonely young women, managed to swindle Annie out of $600 — her entire life savings, money she’s made over the years as a cook. The criminal who did this to her is well known as a master of his trade. He goes by the name Dr. J. Grossman, eye specialist from San Francisco, and worked on Henry Street in a shared office with Dr. Weller. After learning that Annie had $600, Grossman went to meet her. He married her, and the two moved to East Harlem. Shortly thereafter, he took her money and told her he needed it to go back to college to take some courses. After going off to “college,” Grossman never returned. His former partner, Weller, told us that Grossman never returned to the practice. Weller also said that he since found out that Grossman was not even a doctor. In the meantime, Grossman is nowhere to be found, Weller has been left holding the bag and poor Annie has been left with nothing.

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75 Years Ago in the Forward

The Nazi Party has published its platform for Germany’s upcoming election, and it contains a number of points that related to the fate of that country’s Jewish population. Among these issues are the following: 1. Jews will have their German citizenship rescinded and will thereafter have the status of “foreigner.” 2. No Jews will be permitted to work in either state or city governments. 3. The state must care for its citizens. Therefore, if there is not enough food, the Jews will be removed from the country. 4. All Jews who entered the country prior to 1914 must leave. 5. Jews will not be permitted to work as editors or writers of newspapers. 6. Freedom will be available for all forms of Christianity; Judaism will be combated, since it is materialistic. 7. Land reform will be achieved by confiscating Jewish property.

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50 Years Ago in the Forward

Charged with contempt of court following an inquest by the House Un-American Activities Commission, playwright Arthur Miller has entered a plea of not guilty in U.S. Federal court. Miller was set free after posting $1,000 bail. The press, which eagerly anticipated Miller’s appearance, had hoped that he would be accompanied by his wife, actress Marilyn Monroe. In the end, Miller appeared in court accompanied by only his attorney. Also held in contempt was Otto Nathan, a New York University professor who is the executor of Albert Einstein’s estate. Nathan, too, had refused to answer the committee’s questions.